Fireball lighter



June 23, 1942. H. R. KlTTs FIREBALL LIGHTER Filed July 2B, 1941 INVENTORy R.K|T y s BY HARRY ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1942 I,

FIREBALL LIGHTER Harry R. Kitts, Green Bay, Wis., assignor of one'- halfto Arthur W. Juster, Green Bay, Wis.

Application July 2s, 1941, serial No. 404,379

(c1. s'r--n 3 Claims.

My invention refers to lighters especially adaptable for the purpose oflighting cigars, cigarettes or the like. y

The particular object of my invention is to provide a lighter of thefireball type designed for pocket use wherein the fireballs are storedin a magazine and b'y action of a pivotal cover are caused to be fed oneby one through an ignition sleeve and discharged .by a reciprocativeplunger hammer, to cause said fireballs to be ignited within a cageembodying a perforated ca l Y lplvith the above and other objects inview, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of constructionand combination of parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth withreference to the accompanying drawing and subsequently claimed.

In the drawing: Y

Figure 1 represents a lsectional elevation of a lighter embodying thefeatures of my invention, the section being indicated by line I-I ofFigure 3.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same, the section beingindicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan sectional View of the lighter, the section beingindicated by line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is Va detailed fragmentary elevation of the mouth or dischargeend of the ignition sleeve with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a lighter similar to Figure 1,showing the Working parts in their firing or igniting position.

Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional elevation or another form of myinvention wherein the cover of the casing is utilized as a fireballmagazine,

Referring by characters to the drawing, I indicates a casing and 2 acover therefor, the same being connected to the mouth of the casing by aspring control hinge 3.

The casing in this instance is provided wlth a pocket 4, adapted toreceive any type of cartridge container (not shown), for an extra supplyof fireballs. n

Rigidly secured to the casing walls 1s an ignition sleeve 5,which asbest shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, is provided with a serrated orroughened ball ignition surface 5 at the discharge mouth, and said mouthis also longitudinally slit at intervals to permit slight expanslon andcontraction.

The ignition sleeve has also rigidly secured. thereto, an apertured head6, encasing `the discharge mouth of the sleeve, whereby air is admittedfor the purpose of supplying draft to the fireball. The head 6terminates with a slight beveled face for the reception of a perforatedcage or combustion hood l for confining the ball when it is ignited, asbest shown in Figure 5.

The hood I, is pivotly connected to the casing by a stud 8, and mountedthereon is an arm 9, rigid with a' cap and extending outwardlytherefrom. The arm 9 in turn is pivoted to a link I0, and the lower endof said link is pivoted to an ear III', whichY ear projects from thebottom of a hammer rod 'I I The hammer rod I I is reciprocativelymounted in the Vignition sleeve 5, and when the parts are at rest asshown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the top face of said hammer rod isalined with a tubular magazine channel I2, the mouth of which isconnected to the sleeve 5. The channel is angularly positional withinthe casing and is curved upwardly at the back of said casing,terminating near the hinge cover 3 with an open mouth for the receptionof a gang of fireballs, whereby the channel unit constitutes a magazinefor said reballs.V

After the fireballs are inserted in the tubular channel they areconfined by a cap' I2', as best shown in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawing.

The-hammer rod II is centrally bored for the reception of a guide stemI3, which guiding stem is secured to the bottom wall of the casing. A

The pivot ear IIJ of the sleeve 5 is also hingedly connected to a linkI4, the upper end of which is pivotly connected to an arm I5, which armis rigidly secured to the cover 2, adjacent to the hinge 3 of said coverand may form a part of said hinge. 1

When the cover 2 is closed, it is locked by a tongue I6, which tongue iscarried by a spring Il, secured to the casing wall, the said tongueextending through this wall and is adapted to enter an aperture formedin the front face of the cover, whereby the same is locked.

In order to release the cover, the spring Il is provided with a buttonI8, which projects through the casing for manual manipulation, wherebythe tongue is released from the cover when said button is pressedinwardly.

In order to prevent inadvertent displacement of the fireball within thesleeve 5, which is supported upon the top face of the hammer rod, Iprovide means for retaining said fireball in its position for discharge,whereby said fireball could not by gravity, drop into the mouth of theignition sleeve in the event that the casing was inverted from itsnormal vertical position.

With this in view, I provide a spring finger IS, which nger is securedat its lower end to the casing and its upper end I9 is bent at an angleand enters the hollow portion of the sleeve A5 through a suitableaperture therein.

Hence, it will be seen that the upper end I9 normally retains the ballnested in the sleeve in its proper position. In order t0 release the endof the nger I9 for discharge of the fireball, I provide a bell-cranklever 20, having one end engaging the finger I9. Said lever is pivotedto the casing and its upper end engages the spring I'l.

From the foregoing description lit is manifest, Y

in order to provide a flame, the operator presses the button I8 inwardlyand incidental to this movement the finger I9 is retracted from thesleeve 5 to free the ball, which is in position to be red.

As this movement takes place the cover 2, through its spring hingeconnection, will be thrown open to the position indicated in Figure 5 ofthe drawing. This movement simultaneously causes the hammer rod I I t0eject the ball through the mouth of the sleeve 5, whereby it is ignitedthrough frictional contact with the roughened mouth surface of saidsleeve. Coincident to this action the perforated hood "I, through itslink connections with the cover will snap over the iire ball and come torest upon the perforated head 6, whereby said ball is confined and theflame therefrom will be discharged through the perforations of the capas indicated in Figure 5 of the drawing.

As shown in Figure 6 of the drawing, the cover 2 may be formed with afireball magazine 2', and the discharge mouth 2I of this magazine, iscontrolled by a spring actuated slide-valve 22 which slide valve isforced open, as shown in'Figure 6 of the drawing, by a cam 23 carried bythe casing, hence the balls from the auxiliary magazine are fed into thetubular magazine I2, when the same is emptied, it being understood thatthe mouth 2|, is closed by the slide-valve, when the cover is swung toits open position.

While I have shown and described specifically my invention minutely asto detail, 'it is understood that I may vary the structural featureswithin the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A fire ball lighter comprising, a casing and a spring controlledpivoted cover therefor, an ignition sleeve fixed in the casing having aroughened surface discharge mouth, a re ball tubular channeled magazinein communication with the lower end of the ignition sleeve, areciprocative hammer rod mounted in the sleeve having its top facenormally below the magazine channel track, and a toggle link connectionbetween the ignition sleeve and casing cover for reciprocating thehammer rod, a reciprocating fire ball retaining linger extending intothe sleeve for conning a fire ball, a manually controlled spring releaselock for the cover and a lever engageable therewith for actuating thefinger, the spring release lock being adapted to simultaneously releasethe cover whereby the fire hammer is reciprocated after withdrawing theball release finger.

2. A-fire ball lighter comprising, a casing and spring controlled covertherefor, an ignition sleeve fixed to the casing having a roughenedinner discharge mouth, a fire ball tubular channel magazineincommunication with the lower end of the ignition sleeve, a reciprocativehammer rod mounted in the sleeve having a top face normally below rthetubular magazine channel track, a perforated hood for encasing the mouthof the sleeve in pivotal connection with the casing and toggle linksconnecting the hood, ignition sleeve, and casing cover, whereby thehocdis closed over the mouth of the sleeve coincidentrto l swingingmovement of the casing cover and re-Y swing the hood about its pivot toencasethe-said head, whereby the hood will confine and protect theignited fire ball incidental to air currents introduced through the headchannels.

HARRY R. Krrfrs.

